Gianni History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Italy

A variety of distinguished and notable names have emerged from the beautiful and historical Italian region of Tuscany, including the notable surname Gianni. During the Middle Ages, as populations grew and travel between regions became more frequent, the people of Tuscany, who were originally known only by a single name, found it necessary to adopt a second name to identify themselves and their families. This process of adopting fixed hereditary surnames in Italy began in the 10th and 11th centuries, but it was not completed until the modern era. The development of Italian hereditary surnames followed general principles and were characterized by derivatives from one's given name. The patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name, was one of the most common name types found in the region of Tuscany. This system of name-making was widely used because it linked well with the existing Feudal System and during the Christian era, many people named their children after saints and biblical figures. The surname Gianni came from a popular variation of the well-known personal name Giovanni, or John.

Early Origins of the Gianni family

The surname Gianni was first found in Florence (Italian: Firenze), with Lapo Gianni in 1270. Gianni was a lyric poet and a friend of famous authors Dante and Cavalcanti.

Early History of the Gianni family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gianni research. The years 1328, 1500, 1520, 1563, 1568, 1646, 1649, 1685, 1700, 1748, 1753, 1770 and 1801 are included under the topic Early Gianni History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gianni Spelling Variations

Italian surnames come in far more variations than the names of most other nationalities. Regional traditions and dialects are a decisive factor in this characteristic. For example, northern names tend to end in "o", while southern in "i". Also important, but not unique to Italy, was the fact that before dictionaries and the printing press most scribes simply spelled words according to their sounds. The predictable result was an enormous number of spelling variations. The recorded spellings of Gianni include Gianni, Giani, Ianni, Ianne, Ianno, Giannelli, Gianelli, Giannillo, Gianniello, Giannella, Gianella, Giannarelli, Giannetti, Gianetti, Gianettini, Giannetto, Gianetto, Giannitto, Giannini, Gianini, Giannino, Gianino, Iannetti, Ianetti, Iannitti, Iannacco and many more.

Early Notables of the Gianni family

Prominent among members of the family was

Lapo Gianni (died after 1328) an Italian poet who lived in Florence, eleven ballads and six songs of his remain

Migration of the Gianni family

In the immigration and passenger lists a number of early immigrants bearing the name Gianni were found: Antonio Giannuzio and Leonardo Giannietta, who sailed aboard the S.S. Olympia from Naples, arriving at the Port of New York on 25 July 1896, Peter Gianinni, who is on record in Santa Clara county, California in 1854, as well as Antonio and Bernardino Giannella, who were both Naturalized in Ashtabula County, Ohio between the years 1875-1906..

Contemporary Notables of the name Gianni (post 1700) +

Gary Gianni (b. 1954), American comics artist, best known for illustrating the syndicated newspaper comic Prince Valiant, winner of the 1997 Best Short Story Eisner Award
Alberto Gianni (1891-1930), Italian underwater diver and inventor, best known for inventing the decompression chamber, which he called the cassa disazotatrice, in 1916
Nicolás Andrés Gianni (b. 1982), Argentine footballer
Gianni Ferlenghi (1931-2023), Italian professional racing cyclist who rode in three editions of the Tour de France
Gianni Bisiach (1927-2022), Italian journalist, television and radio writer, presenter, essayist, documentarist and screenwriter
Gianni Cavina (1940-2022), Italian film actor who appeared in more than 45 films from 1949 to 2013
Gianni Celati (1937-2022), Italian writer, translator and literary critic from Sondrio, Italy
Gianni Beschin (1953-2021), Italian football referee
Gianni Dei (1940-2020), Italian actor and singer
Gianni Minervini (1928-2020), Italian actor and a television and film producer from Naples